


Loving you is a losing game

by AtLAstuff



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Ethari/Janai friendship, F/F, Hopeful ending?, I didnt know it was ruthari week, M/M, Talks about the deaths of Runaan and Khessa, but it does accidentally fit that prompt, lets just say Janai has very good eyesight, nor did i know the prompt for today was glowing/fading, so make of that what you will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22152337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtLAstuff/pseuds/AtLAstuff
Summary: Once the dragon prince has safely returned to his mother, Janai and Ethari have a conversation about love and grief.
Relationships: Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 68





	Loving you is a losing game

**Author's Note:**

> I got super stressed with university and deadlines and exams so what do I do? I write this one shot at 1AM instead of doing all of my work or working on my other fics.
> 
> I just really love the idea of friendships between sunfire elves and moonshadow elves, and specifically between Janai and Ethari.

Usually, Ethari would love festivals like these. Runaan and him would always go to them, and Runaan would act like he hated every second of it but Ethari knew his husband well enough to know that was never really the case. Maybe at the start of the festival, yes, he wasn’t much of a social butterfly, but near the end of the evening, when everyone had been dancing and talking for hours, Runaan’s face would lit up in happiness each time. 

And this festival was special too. For the first time in hundreds of years, humans of different kingdoms and elves from all over Xadia were reunited in good spirit, talking to each other and even dancing with each other. It was a big festival because, well, it was a big deal. 

But it was all a bit too much too, and Ethari couldn’t help but distance himself a bit from the crowds and the drinks and the lights and the music. He found himself at a place he had spent too much time these past weeks; the flat stones he would sit on for hours near the pond where Rayla’s flower was still the only one bright and afloat. Ethari couldn’t help but smile lightly at that now, at Rayla’s flower, for how incredibly proud he was of her for returning Azymondias to his mother. It was really bittersweet in that regard. Perhaps, it hadn’t all been for nothing. 

“Mind if I sit with you,” Janai’s words cut through his train of thought. 

“Of course,” he smiled back at her shuffling a bit to the left to make more room. They hadn’t seen each other in so long, but they had been good friends once and there never was a sense of awkwardness between them. Janai looked a bit worn out and tired, but the past few days must have been though for her, as they were for so many. And from what Ethari had heard, she had fought very bravely. 

She smiled back as she sat down, eyes looking directly at the pond in front of them. “Did you make that flower there? It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, well, it’s—,” he sighed. “It’s Rayla’s. She’s the only one left. There was one for each one on the team,” Janai might not be aware of all the traditions and customs of Moonshadow elves, but certainly was aware of what they had planned that one night, nearly every elf in Xadia was. And Ethari didn’t trust his voice to say anything more in detail on the matter. 

“I heard about Runaan,”Janai said quietly. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

“I’m sorry about your sister too,” so many people had lost friends and family and loved ones these past few days. It was  _ unfair _ , he couldn’t help but think. But for the first time in his life, he also had hope for this world to become united again. 

And so they sat in silence for a bit, staring at the pond with the faint sound of chatter and music somewhere in the distance. He felt like crying, but also like he simply couldn’t anymore. There had been enough crying over the past few days, out of anger and sadness and grief, and he still felt all those feelings but it was as if his eyes simply had no tears left to cry. 

“You know, sometimes I feel dumb for how much this hurts me. I was the one that decided to marry an assassin. I knew this could happen, that there was a big chance this  _ would _ happen,” he spoke up again, hanging his head, “but I really miss him. I really loved him with all my heart.” 

Janai looked up at him, her eyes getting watery too, “Oh Ethari, mustn’t feel stupid for grieving,” he gripped his arm with her hand, and it felt warm and comforting against Ethari’s skin. 

Runaan had promised to return his heart, and Ethari had never known Runaan to make promises he couldn’t keep. That was just the way he was, he’d never lie and he’d never say something he didn’t mean. But Ethari couldn’t even begin to hold that as his last piece of hope. He wouldn’t allow himself. The flowers didn’t lie either, they never did. Perhaps, in another life, in another time—

“When it happened with my sister, I nearly put my own life in danger, I was just so angry—,” Janai shook her head. “If Amaya hadn’t stopped me, I’m not sure what I would’ve done. Or if I still would be sitting here now.”

“Amaya?” Where had he heard that name before? Hearing Janai talk about her so softly surprised him a bit, as it certainly wasn’t an elf’s name and Janai never had the best relationship with humans in the past. She despised them. 

“She’s… my prisoner,” her voice sounded off as she said that last word. “Well…”

“She’s a prisoner,” he questioned, “and she saved your life?”

“It wasn’t the first time she saved me, but then she even put herself in danger whilst doing so,” Ethari realized then, that her voice sounded full of care, “she uses her hands for communication, but I nearly burned them when I got angry.”

“She sounds very loyal.”

“She’s brave, a very honorable warrior,” Janai said instead. “Amaya is not my prisoner anymore, I couldn’t do that to her after everything that happened, but I haven’t formally told her so yet, so I guess she still kind of is,” a small smile ghosted her lips. “I doubt she needs that confirmation though. I don’t think she ever took this whole prisoner thing seriously. Not that I can blame her.”

“Janai, is it just me or do you really like her?” He tried to tease her, trying to lift the mood, but her ducking her head and quickly looking at the other direction didn’t go unnoticed, and it Ethari recognised it straight away, “Oh you do! You do like her!”

“I do not!” She protested, but then slumped her shoulders and looked down. “Alright, maybe a little.” 

“Tell me more about her,” Ethari was done with the sad conversations, and Janai had never been one to openly admit to liking someone so fast. She was more like Runaan in that regard, more closed off with her feelings. Especially when it came to humans, Ethari didn’t think he’d ever see his friend talk about one like that. For her to admit it just like that, it must be at least somewhat serious. 

“Well Amaya’s… she’s a really good fighter, and she can be rather bold Just this morning she got angry with me because I didn’t eat breakfast. I think she must somewhat trust me as well because she looked into the Light when I told her she had to, even if her sight is especially important for her. And she has a pure heart, the Light verified that, but I think I already realized that before,” Janai let out a small laugh. “And I will admit, she’s quite pretty.”

“Oh!” He said excitingly clasping his hands together. “You have it bad! You’re going to make a move on her right? Please tell me you are?” 

“I don’t know,” she shook her head and stood up, walking towards the pond. “She’s a human you know.”

“Oh come on,” he groaned. “Really? You want to use that excuse after all that just happened?” 

Ethari stood up now as well, joining Janai where she was slightly leaning over the edge of the pond. 

“Fine,” she admitted. “Maybe I’m a bit scared.”

And that was very unlike her too. “You? Scared? Come on Janai, you’re one of the best warriors I know, you’re never scared,” he told her, “and I don’t know her of course, but from what you’ve told me, sounds like you’ve got a shot here.”

“You think so?” Her eyes looked hopeful, and her smile was more clear now. 

“I really do,” he smiled back before looking over to his left at the flowers in the grass that were radiating soft light. He couldn’t keep staring at the pond anymore, it did no good. 

And they sat again in silent for a while, a comfortable silence between two friends. It was getting late, but there were no signs that the festival would come to an end any time soon. 

“Hey, Ethari?” Janai said suddenly, her voice a but louder filled with confusion. “Is… isn’t that flower near the bottom still faintly lit?” 

He turned around, not daring himself to bring his hopes up. It can’t be, there is simply no way. But Janai wouldn’t have brought it up if she hadn’t seen something, she knew fully well how much it hurt him. 

But then again Janai always had the best eyesight out of everyone he knew, she could spot small things from so far away... But still. It couldn’t be. 

He stared back at the pond, just like he had for the past few days. Tracking his eyes over every inch of it. Admittedly, he hadn’t ever really looked in the water all that much, only at the flowers afloat on it. Those were the most important part after all. 

“Over there,” she pointed her finger to the other end of the pool and Ethari narrowed his eyes, leaning further forward. This couldn’t be, he couldn’t bring his hopes up like this, it’s—

But there  _ was  _ a very faint light radiating from under the water, and once he saw it it seemed even more clear. How could he not have noticed before? How is this even possible?

“How can this be? I’ve looked at the pond every single day I-,” Ethari leaned forward so much, for a second he thought he’d fall in, and then, his eyes felt like they grew 10 times their size as the realization hit him, “It’s Runaan’s,” he gasped and felt Janai’s warm hand grasping his. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Duncan Laurence's Arcade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3D-r4ogr7s)


End file.
